As native hearth officers start getting ready for the Fourth of July fireworks season, county councilors are once more discussing the deserves of limiting fireworks use in unincorporated Clark County.
Throughout a Wednesday assembly, officers shared knowledge in regards to the pressure the vacation takes on emergency providers. In addition they say they’re bracing for what may very well be a busy yr, with April’s low rainfall and Fourth of July falling on a Friday.
If the council decides to undertake a coverage limiting fireworks, state legislation dictates it wouldn’t go into impact for a yr, which means any change wouldn’t go into impact till 2026 and wouldn’t have an effect on this yr’s vacation.
The county’s 911 dispatch middle, Clark Regional Emergency Providers Company, created a fireworks hotline in 2021 aimed toward driving calls away from dispatchers devoted to dealing with lively emergencies. Final yr, the hotline acquired 1,013 calls, down from 1,492 calls in 2023, which was the best quantity for the reason that hotline launched. Hotline staffers referred 98 of the 2024 calls to the Clark County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Final yr was the primary time in a few years that the Clark County Fireplace Marshal’s Workplace didn’t examine any main construction fires on the Fourth of July, and there was no vital property injury, county Fireplace Marshal Donna Goddard mentioned.
“I consider that a little lucky,” Goddard mentioned. “I hope we continue that trend this year, although I echo those same concerns that July 4th is on a Friday.”
The Clark County Fireplace Marshal’s Workplace doesn’t implement unlawful fireworks use due to a scarcity of staffing, Goddard mentioned.
Vancouver Fireplace Marshal Heidi Scarpelli addressed her company’s technique for fireworks enforcement within the metropolis, the place fireworks are banned fully. She mentioned she emphasizes educating folks in regards to the ban and the boundaries of the ban earlier than the vacation. Then in the course of the vacation, hearth marshal workers companion with Vancouver police to situation citations and confiscate fireworks, she mentioned.
Final yr, Vancouver staffers issued 23 $500 citations and confiscated 24 fireworks packages. Scarpelli’s workplace investigated two construction fires in 2023, however final yr they solely noticed injury to vegetation, she mentioned.
Whereas Goddard mentioned her presentation was to tell councilors of responses and he or she declined to make a coverage suggestion, Scarpelli voiced a suggestion from the Vancouver Fireplace Division.
“We would recommend a total ban for the unincorporated parts of Clark County,” Scarpelli mentioned.
The Vancouver hearth marshal mentioned many individuals don’t know which jurisdiction they dwell in and having so many competing guidelines across the county — together with different cities which differ from Vancouver or the county — creates confusion.
“We really try to educate, but if the entire county, including all the cities, have a ban, it would reduce risk for our community,” she mentioned.
Councilor Glen Yung mentioned he doesn’t suppose a complete ban within the county is suitable, however he needed extra details about tips on how to curb irresponsible use of fireworks.
The councilors mentioned Wednesday they needed time to learn by the experiences earlier than recommending any coverage adjustments, and so they agreed to revisit the problem in a future assembly.
